


Created In His Image (A Father’s Lesson Remix)

by twinsarein



Category: Smallville
Genre: Coda, Drama, Gen, Remix
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-05-23
Updated: 2010-05-23
Packaged: 2017-10-09 16:40:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,431
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/89510
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/twinsarein/pseuds/twinsarein
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Lionel thinks about Lex and how he's turned out.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Created In His Image (A Father’s Lesson Remix)

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Less One Father's Sins](https://archiveofourown.org/external_works/948) by nevcolleil. 



> Spoilers for S1 - Jitters

Lionel had felt the blazing pain of his father’s belt more than once growing up. His mother had never done anything to stop it. He’d learned early in life that you can only rely on yourself in life and that no one could be trusted not to betray you. Those lessons had served him well, just as his childhood in Suicide Slums had helped bring out his inner strength. He should thank his parents for what their decisions and behavior had inadvertently helped him to become, and he would, if he hadn’t killed them as soon as he’d devised a plan to make a better life for himself.

It had worked. He’d received the insurance money and used it to become one of the most powerful businessmen on the planet. Because of that success, all due to overcoming his background, he’d thought to recreate that success with his son.

Lex might have been born into more money than a young Lionel Luthor could ever have dreamed of, but Lionel had done his best to make sure that his oldest son was strong, in spite of their wealth. He wouldn’t tolerate disobedience, and he’d made sure that the boy felt the back of Lionel’s hand more than once. A belt would have created marks that all of his money couldn’t explain away in this bleeding heart day and age.

Everything he’d done had been to make the boy as strong as possible. When Lex was about to turn twelve, he’d stopped the outgoing party invitations so that Lex would learn that not to depend on anyone but family to be there when he needed them. Lionel had engineered many such lessons over the years.

After the boy had confessed to killing Julian the tenor of the lessons had changed, but they’d continued. Until then, Lionel’s lessons had been tempered by his love for his son. After his grief had lessened, he realized he hadn’t been doing Lex any favors. Allowing his love to influence his actions had been a mistake that Lionel had corrected immediately. He does not justify his actions to others, however if he did, he’d say that he loved Lex more than himself. After all, he’s putting aside his own needs and desires to ensure that Lex has the best opportunity to thrive and grow as strong as possible.

When he’d first gotten the call about the hostage situation at the plant, Lionel had been furious that Lex had allowed one sick man to get the better of him and his security measures. If Lex had internalized all of his lessons properly, such a thing wouldn’t have happened, and he wouldn’t have been forced into having his PR team spin the mess six ways from Sunday.

When Lex had stood up to him, though, and insisted on going into the plant, Lionel had to admit that he’d felt a little pride. It wasn’t something that Lex did often. Defiance, yes. A display of backbone, no. He hadn’t been able to reveal that he hadn’t wanted Lex to get anywhere near that madman; that sort of emotional display would be both beneath Lionel and hand Lex too much ammunition for future altercations. He hadn’t protested any further, after that single knee-jerk reaction to keep his boy safe.

As he’d sat outside with the Kents, he’d contemplated his son and the possibility that his unnecessary heroics might get him killed. He had sent Lex to Smallville to force him away from the temptations of the city that were preventing him from maturing into his full strength. He’d given Lex the plant in an effort to assign him some responsibility. He would never tell Lex, but the boy had exceeded Lionel’s wildest expectations. He’d turned the failing plant around. Smallville would probably never know how close it had come to losing the largest employer in the area. The town would have been devastated if the plant had closed. Lionel had projected that to happen within the year. Now, because his son had finally shown his true worth, the blood of Luthors showing through in his efforts, the town would continue to thrive. Not that Lionel cared about the town, except in the lesson it had helped him teach Lex.

When he’d been informed that the doors of the plant would have to be sealed, imprisoning his son with Earl Jenkins, Lionel’s blood had run cold. He’d had to remind himself to be strong, to show no emotion. His hesitation had been brief, but very telling for him. He couldn’t remember the last time something had made him falter like that. Nevertheless, he couldn’t allow himself give into the impulse to keep his son safe. He’d ordered the doors closed.

He’d wanted a strong heir, and it appeared that he’d raised one. His son had revealed he’d internalized Lionel’s lessons. Perhaps when Lex managed to resolve the Earl Jenkins problem, and Lionel wouldn’t consider any other possibility, he could ease up a trifle. It might be worth considering.

It would be…pleasing…to cultivate a closer relationship with his son, to have someone he could relax with on occasion. Losing Julian had been a tragedy, one Lionel wasn’t sure he could let go of, but, not counting Lucas (who was a wastrel not worth considering unless he needed to put his contingency plan into play, which wasn’t looking likely right now), Lex was his last surviving family. They should be more than antagonists, now that Lex had proved himself worthy of being his son.

Lionel had been just as relieved as the Kents when their sons emerged from the plant. Of course, he would never demean either himself or his son’s bravery by showing it. He’d dealt with the members of the Fourth Estate, and Lex once more had proved his worth by going over Lionel’s head in front of the journalistic vultures by promising to care for Earl. Of course, Lionel decided he may as well acquire some use out of them himself and had used the press as a convenient cover for the reason he’d pulled his son into a hug.

Lex hadn’t realized what Lionel had done, that it was a real hug, but Lionel hadn’t been willing to expose his real feelings in such a public venue. He’d wait until they’d returned to the mansion to talk to Lex and let him know how proud Lionel actually was.

Before Lionel could suggest leaving to Lex, Jonathan Kent came over unexpectedly. After speaking to the press himself, he had the audacity to pull Lex out of his hug with his father, and to embrace the boy himself. Lionel sputtered indignantly at the nerve of the simple farmer.

“Thank you, Lex,” Lionel heard the man say. Then Kent turned to him, the huge smile on his corn-fed face obviously Kent’s own attempt at playing to the cameras.

“That’s quite an extraordinary boy you have there, Lionel.” Lionel had to stop himself from sputtering indignantly again. He knew his boy was special. At the very least, he’s **Lionel’s** son and that alone makes Lex special.

He looked to Lex to see how he was reacting to the man’s intrusion; he’d never been one to like people touching him after all. Lionel’s eyes narrowed in displeasure as he watched shock and awe cross his son’s face.

The shock was barely forgivable because the man’s display had caused Lionel a moment of unfettered surprised of his own. The awe was not. Showing that much emotion where it might be observed and potentially used against Lex in the future, made a travesty of every lesson he’d ever tried to instill in Lex.

The moment the pleasure descended into his son’s features and stayed there, though, was the moment that Lionel finally realized how wrong he’d been in thinking his son was strong at all. Lex still craved approval, and the fact that he’d take it from some inconsequential nobody was unforgivable.

Lionel supposed he owed Jonathan Kent a debt of gratitude for pointing out the flaws still inherent in his son. Lionel wasn’t going to offer him thanks, of course, that would give too much away. At the very least, it would highlight Lionel’s mistake.

Lionel realized that he still had a very long way to go in his son’s training. Lexwas still too emotionally dependant on other people. That was going to have to end. Lionel had some ideas, but he needed to return to Metropolis to plan. He thought he might contact Victoria Hardwick. She would be just the lesson his son needed.


End file.
